Musical theatre is an important part of LGBTQ+ culture, but how effectively do our musicals represent lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex and asexual creatives and audience members in all their fabulous glory? Dr James Lovelock, curator of www.queermusicals.com, is joined by special guests from across the musical theatre industry to think about how these productions are creating spaces that centre queerness and represent LGBTQ+ people of different genders, races and lived experiences. Join us to celebrate how our queer identites are challenging conventions and creating a bold new future for musical theatre! Series 1-3 of this podcast were funded by the University of Wolverhampton. Series 4 of this podcast is funded by the British Academy Early Career Researchers’ Network Seed Fund as part of a project on ’Queer gain in queer-infused musical theatre practices’, and is supported by Sheffield Hallam University
Episodes
Nov 21, 2025
Nov 21, 2025
34 min
You're listening to Represent, the queer musical theatre podcast.
My name is Dr. James Lovelock and I'm an academic and a huge musical theatre fan exploring the representation of all things queer in the musical theatre industry.
In this episode we are joined by Georgina Coram and Lucy Mackay from the cast of the Sheffield-based musical Gwenda's Garage.
The musical is based on the stories of queer women who were involved in the real Gwenda's Garage in the 1980s and follows the characters through the political upheaval of Margaret Thatcher's Britain, including the enacting of Section 28 and the fight for the rights of queer people to adopt children.
As always you can follow us on your favourite podcast platform and don't forget to share this episode on social media.
Links
Tickets for Gwenda's Garage at the Southwark Playhouse
Georgina Coram on Instagram
Lucy Mackay on Instagram
Dr James Lovelock on Instagram
Queermusicals on Instagram and website
Sep 23, 2025
Sep 23, 2025
46 min
to Represent, the queer musical theatre podcast.
My name is Dr. James Lovelock, and I'm an academic and a huge musical theatre fan exploring the representation of all things queer in the musical theatre industry.
My guests today are West End leading man Zheng Xi Yong and West End leading they-dy Jo Foster, who have just finished starring in Fourplay at the Kings Head’s Theatre.
In this episode, we discuss queer, Asian and non-binary representation in Your Lie in April and Why Am I So Single, and start an entirely unsubstantiated rumour that Jason Robert Brown is planning a musical adaptation of the CBeebies show In The Night Garden.
As always, you can follow us on your favourite podcast platform, and don't forget to share this episode on social media.
Links
Jo's instagram
Zheng Xi's instagram
James's instagram
Represent podcast instagram and website
New work
Why Am I So Single? website, instagram, Spotify and Apple Music
Your Lie In April instagram Spotify and Apple Music
Fourplay instagram
Sep 16, 2025
Sep 16, 2025
56 min
Welcome to Represent, the queer musical theatre podcast.
My name is Dr. James Lovelock and I'm an academic and a huge musical theatre fan, exploring the representation of all things queer in the musical theatre industry.
Today's guests are the iconic Gracie McGonigal and the extraordinary Ashley Goh, who met during a production of the new musical The Phase at the Vaults Festival.
Since then, Gracie has wowed us with her performances as Lily in Fangirls at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, and Ashley has imparted her wisdom as Alex in Babies at the Other Palace.
We discuss the importance of queer spaces, the joys of workshopping, and our hopes for the future of musical theatre.
As always, you can follow us on your favourite podcast platform, and don't forget to share this episode on social media.
Links
Gracie's instagram
Ashley's instagram
James Lovelock's instagram
Represent podcast instagram and website
New Work
Fangirls - website instagram Spotify Apple Music
Babies - website instagram Spotify Apple Music
Shipton: A New British Folk Musical Instagram MT Spotlights
Asian Pirate Musical - website instagram Spotify Apple Music
Sep 9, 2025
Sep 9, 2025
49 min
Welcome to Represent, the queer musical theatre podcast.
My name is Dr James Lovelock, and I'm an academic and a huge musical theatre fan, exploring the representation of all things queer in the musical theatre industry.
This week we are talking to the genius writer that is Yve Blake, and the genius performer that is Mary Malone.
Mary appeared as Jules in Yve's musical Fangirls at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre last year, and recently workshopped Yve's news show Mackenzie, which is a retelling of Macbeth as a child television star.
In this episode, we discuss female, queer, and trans representation in musical theatre, and explore how to make a welcoming creative space for queer performers.
As always, you can follow us on your favourite podcast platform, and don't forget to share this episode on social media.
Links
Yve's instagram
Mary's instagram
James Lovelock's instagram
Represent podcast instagram and website
New Work
Fangirls - website instagram Spotify Apple Music
A Transgender Woman On The Internet Crying - Spotify Apple Music
Mel and Sam (writers of Doof) - Podcast Tiktok
Gillian Cosgriff (writer of The Fig Tree) - instagram
piss/CARNATION - Instagram
Fox Hunt - Royal Court
Sep 1, 2025
Sep 1, 2025
51 min
Welcome to Represent, the queer musical theatre podcast.
My name is Dr. James Lovelock, and I'm an academic and a huge musical theatre fan, exploring the representation of all things queer in the musical theatre industry.
Our guests today are the effervescent Joshian Angelo Omaña and the fabulous Finton Flynn, who both appeared in the UK tour of Everybody's Talking About Jamie in 2024.
We explore Joshian and Finton's experiences in the industry, including Joshian's performance as a fridge, a double-denim-wearing museum curator, and a bee in Why Am I So Single, and Finton's concert appearances as one of Lola's angels in Kinky Boots, and as a porn star in Shooting Star, a new musical.
As always, you can follow us on your favourite podcast platform, and don't forget to share this episode on social media.
Links
Joshian's instagram
Finton's instagram
James Lovelock's instagram
Represent podcast instagram and website
New Musicals
Everybody's Talking About Jamie website Spotify Apple Music
Why Am I So Single? website, instagram, Spotify and Apple Music
The Parent Agency website
Aug 26, 2025
Aug 26, 2025
53 min
Welcome to Represent, the queer musical theatre podcast.
My name is Dr. James Lovelock and I'm an academic and a huge musical theatre fan exploring the representation of all things queer in the musical theatre industry.
Our guest today is the wonderful and versatile actor, dancer and superstar swing Owen McHugh, who recently appeared in the fabulous Why Am I So Single? at the Garrick Theatre.
We discussed what the show means to us and how it created an inclusive space for its sparkling ensemble and we also explore some of Owen's other projects including But I'm a Cheerleader and Like a Rat.
There's also a very detailed analysis of how to gender bins and curtains when rehearsing for a West End show.
As always you can follow us on your favourite podcast platform and don't forget to share this episode on social media.
Links
Owen McHugh's instagram
James Lovelock's instagram
Represent podcast instagram and website
New musicals
Why Am I So Single? website, instagram, Spotify and Apple Music
But I'm A Cheerleader instagram and YouTube channel
'Wrestling' from But I'm A Cheerleader
Like A Rat - workshop promo
Television Shows
What It Feels Like For A Girl on BBC3
Love and Rage: Munroe Bergdof on Apple TV
Aug 19, 2025
Aug 19, 2025
50 min
Welcome to Represent, the queer musical theatre podcast. My name is Dr. James Lovelock, and I'm an academic and a huge musical theatre fan exploring the representation of all things queer in the musical theatre industry.
My guests today are the amazing Jordan Cambridge-Taylor and the fabulous Olivia O'Connor from the recent production of Why Am I So Single at the Garrick Theatre. We discuss the casting process for the show, find out what made the rehearsal room so welcoming, and explore why this show means so much to its audiences. We also look at non-binary and plus-size representation in musical theatre, as well as finding out about what the Pineapple Studios' Lost Property box contains for emergency audition situations.
Links
Jordan Cambridge-Taylor's instagram
Olivia O'Connor's instagram and TikTok
Dr James Lovelock's instagram
2008 Stuttgart production of Wicked
'For Good' - Willemijn Verkaik and Jana Stelley
'Popular' - Jana Stelley
Represent! The queermusicals.com podcast
Musical theatre is an important part of LGBTQ+ culture, but how effectively do our musicals represent lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex and asexual creatives and audience members in all their fabulous glory? Dr James Lovelock, writer and curator of www.queermusicals.com, is joined by special guests from Legally Blonde, Rent, But I’m A Cheerleader, Daddy, The Normal Heart and Interstate: A New Musical to think about how these productions are creating spaces that centre queerness and represent LGBTQ+ people of different genders, races and lived experiences. Join us to celebrate how our queer identites are challenging conventions and creating a bold new future for musical theatre!